y head, and gave this information to my fellow-clerk
and Miss Clifton.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked, in a frightened tone.

"At Camden-town," I replied. She sprang hastily from her seat, and came
towards me.

"I am close to my friend's house here," she said, "so it is a lucky thing
for me. It is not five minutes' walk from the station. I will say
good-bye to you now, Mr. Wilcox, and I thank you a thousand times for
your kindness."

She seemed flurried, and she held out both her little hands to me in an
appealing kind of way, as if she were afraid of my detaining her against
her will. I took them both into mine, pressing them with rather more
ardour than was quite necessary.

"I do not like you to go alone at this hour," I said, "but there is no
help for it. It has been a delightful time to me. Will you allow me to
call upon you to-morrow morning early, for I leave London at 10.30; or on
Wednesday, when I shall be in town again?"

"O," she answered, hanging her head, "I don't know. I'll write and tell
mamma how kind you have been, and, and--but I must go, Mr. Wilcox."

"I don't like your going alone," I repeated.

"O! I know the way perfectly," she said, in the same flurried manner,
"perfectly, thank you. And it is close at hand. Goodbye."

She jumped lightly out of the carriage, and the train started on again at
the same instant. We were busy enough, as you may suppose. In five
minutes more we should be in Euston-square, and there was nearly fifteen
minutes work still to be done. Spite of the enjoyment he had afforded
me, I mentally anathematised Mr. Huntingdon and his departure from
ordinary rules, and, thrusting Miss Clifton forcibly out of my thoughts,
I set to work with a will, gathered up the registered letters for London,
tied them into a bundle with the paper bill, and then turned to the
corner of the counter for the despatch-box.

You have guessed already my cursed misfortune. The Premier's
despatch-box was not there. For the first minute or so I was in nowise
alarmed, and merely looked round, upon the floor, under the bags, into
the boxes, into any place into which it could have fallen or been
deposited. We reached Euston-square while I was still searching, and
losing more and more of my composure every instant. Tom Morville joined
me in my quest, and felt every bag which had been made up and sealed.
The box was no small article which could go into little compass; it was
ce